The 2014 Grammy nominations were announced on Friday, and with them came a plethora of notable snubs.
Two of this year's chief overlords of music (and controversy) -- Kanye West and Miley Cyrus -- both came up short. Cyrus' album, "Bangerz," didn't make the Sept. 30 cutoff for eligibility, but the summer hits "We Can't Stop" and "Wrecking Ball" failed to garner any nominations. West, who is wont to tout his impressive 21 previous Grammy honors, made out with only two recognitions. Despite being a potential favorite for Album of the Year (the critically adored "Yeezus") and Song of the Year ("New Slaves" or "Black Skinhead"), West was only a finalist for Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song.
In a year where one ubiquitous hit eclipsed the next, it's inevitable that Record of the Year and Song of the Year came with notable omissions. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "Thrift Shop" and "Can't Hold Us" were omitted from both categories along with the Taylor Swift hits "Begin Again," "I Knew You Were Trouble" and "Red."
Jay Z, the most-nominated artist of the year, failed to ink a spot among any of the top-tier categories in which he was eligible. "Magna Carta...Holy Grail" grabbed Best Rap Album but was left out of Album of the Year, while "Holy Grail" and "Tom Ford" appeared in other categories without cracking Record or Song of the Year.
A similar fate met Jay Z collaborator Justin Timberlake, whose "20/20 Experience" earned Best Pop Vocal Album but not Album of the Year. Timberlake's singles, "Pusher Love Girl" and "Mirrors," appear in Best R&B Song and Best Pop Solo Performance, respectively. Both of the duo's joint singles -- "Suit & Tie" and "Holy Grail" -- received an impressive four nominations between them, even without cracking the top categories.
Another Album of the Year oversight came in the form of Bruno Mars' "Unorthodox Jukebox." Mars racked up several nominations but failed to reclaim the accolade "Doo-Wops & Hooligans" received in 2012, despite the newer album's immense success. The same goes for J. Cole, whose only glory came in Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Power Trip," his song with Miguel. Omitted from Album of the Year and Best Rap Album, J. Cole's "Born Sinner" couldn't live up to the Best New Artist nod the rapper received in 2012.
It seems this year is lacking an esteemed alternative act, a la 2013's Mumford & Sons, 2012's Bon Iver and 2011's Arcade Fire. Vampire Weekend, whose album "Modern Vampires of the City" was a critical and commercial smash, could have filled that role. Instead, pop dominated the nominations, as evidenced by Sara Bareilles' unexpected inclusion in the Album of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance roundups.
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